


Jigsaw

by MaskedXinger



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Composer Yixing, Crushes, Enemies to Lovers, Happy Ending, Jealousy, M/M, Music, Mutual Pining, Pining, Soloist Baekhyun, Soloist Jongdae
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2020-11-27 02:27:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20940779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaskedXinger/pseuds/MaskedXinger
Summary: Eyes wet and smiling wide, Yixing joins hands with the cast and they bow until the curtain is down completely.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Hi I saw this prompt on xoxo prompts and it matched an idea that I already had. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, there will be more to come.

Yixing remembers becoming a composer like it was yesterday. Yixing’s mother made him learn piano the same way each of his friend’s parents pushed them to one art or the other. To be contrarian, Yixing used to refuse and run away, or attempt to “break” his piano to no avail. In fact, his grandfather, his mother’s father told him about how his mother loved the piano and now that she didn’t have as much time to play, maybe sometimes her son would play her a piece or two. Guiltily, Yixing stopped trying to run and ironically found out that he loved piano just as much as his mother. A favourite of his was Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No.3. There was something hauntingly beautiful about it. Every light stroke on the piano, a feeling of nostalgia in the air. It was like a feeling Yixing had never felt, but recognised anyways. Yixing loved learning music that he recognised culturally more. Liu Hai Cuts Wood for instance was Changsha in a song and to Yixing, all Chinese music was rich.

Yixing loved piano. He loved music, poring over sheets of music to learn something new. In between the humdrum schoolwork and his father telling him to go to South Korea to study business because he heard that they had diverse student bodies so Yixing might make useful connections, Yixing had piano. Now he also had guitar and erhu and he was itching to learn more music. But it was his maternal grandfather not his father who taught him to take music seriously. So Yixing never got to learn how to compose music like the Hans Zimmers of this world like he would have loved to. Instead he regurgitated the music he loved and never dared to envision what kind of music he would make or whether he might take Chinese music to the world and make compositions with his beloved erhu.

Sue Yixing, he was curious about one so called composer’s reaction. He had always wished to dissect music the way that professional composers could. Yixing didn’t have a trained ear or a natural skill for music. He had worked hard at piano, guitar and erhu so that he could play him and his mother’s favourite songs. He could follow a sheet and he could play what he had heard but to make an original piece? He couldn’t. Or so he thought.

A friend who he considered a baby of sorts by the name of Jongin called him frantic one day. The university’s theatre buff Kim Jongin was finally directing a play, and it was discussed widely across campus. Jongin had gotten some of the most legendary performers to participate alongside him in an original production. Yixing was excited, he had secretly joined the dance club without his father’s knowledge and he just knew that Jongin was going to put on a beautiful show. Jongin listened to all kinds of music, that’s how he and Yixing got closer in the dance club. Well, that and the fact that Yixing was actually a talented dancer and loved to learn any dance he could be taught, so long as his dad didn’t hear about it.

“The pianist quit the play.” Jongin said when Yixing answered, not even greeting him. Yixing had crust in his eyes after staying up to submit a commercial law paper. It took him a moment, whilst Jongin breathed heavily to actually process what he had said before sitting up.

“The pianist did WHAT?!” Yixing exclaimed, flabbergasted to say the least.

“To be fair, he got hospitalised because he got pneumonia. He is going to be okay but he most certainly cannot be part of the performance tomorrow.” Yixing felt bad for Jongin. The pianist was supposed to spontaneously play whatever during the scenes to either make moments more exaggerated or to add a bit of flair. Yixing had not quite understood how it worked when Jongin had explained to him that there was no set list for the pianist to play.

It is only in dress rehearsals where Yixing helped out because of understaffing that he witnessed freshman Kun play different music each rehearsal that he understood. Jongin had always been ambitious with performance arts and he executed it well too. Yixing could attempt to comfort Jongin because that was a nice cherry on top, but why would he be one of the first people who Jongin called. After all shouldn’t he be searching for a pia-? No. No. Absolutely fucking not. Yixing was not going up on stage and playing at random, who did Jongin think he was. And imagine his father found out that ‘that time consuming hobby’ of his wasn’t completely under control. Yixing kept submitting things last minute because there was so much music to hear, so many dances to learn so many instruments to admire, and as someone in an environment rich with artists, Yixing indulged a little too much sometimes.

“No.” Yixing uttered that word alone. Jongin knew how precarious Yixing’s participation in performance was. He got it. Yixing was so sorry that Kun was seriously ill, but that little dude was a composer through and through. He left Yixing speechless with the ease with which he dredged out different melodies just from his head. Yixing knew which key made which sound, he DID invest time and energy into learning after all, but he wasn’t trained like Kun to have music at his fingertips.

“When will you stop being so self conscious? I know you haven’t done what Kun did, but even if you play melodies that you actually know, music that you know it’ll still be a top notch performance and you know it. Talking about Kun and how young and bright he is shouldn’t stop you from seeing that you have something to offer. So please?”

Yixing heard the desperation, he did. This was for the good of the play though, the spontaneous playing was a stroke of genius, and people should see it. Jongin knew plenty of players so why was he asking a senior business student working hard to get a degree in a field that he hates to do, well, anything. The stuff of nightmares truly, the hard work that Jongin put in with his boyfriend Taemin and the audience won’t get to see the masterpiece they created in its purest form? Totally disastrous. Talent was in abundance on their campus though; there was no way that Yixing was the only option. Yixing tried to express everything except for the part where he hates his degree to Jongin who did not even let him finish.

“I don’t want anyone else but you,” Jongin was firm; it took Yixing aback because Jongin usually let him off especially since he was a senior whilst Jongin was a junior. “You read the script that Sehun worked so hard to write and you loved each draft more than the last. You helped out at every dress rehearsal and you thought I didn’t see you admiring the costumes. You saw how Kun played for us. You lived and breathed this play with me and now you want to refuse because you are scared. You think you will ruin it just because you didn’t get to take the musical path that you wanted as though this is not my play. Talking about your skills being an insult to a production that’s my brainchild. Yet you don’t think that it’s more disrespectful that you don’t respect my wish that you join my team officially?”

It was a mouthful to say the least. Jongin hadn’t let Yixing get a word inch wise. Worse, he used some of the same guilt tripping tactics as his grandfather when he resisted learning piano. Yixing never should have told him about those tactics. Before he could stop himself, Yixing agreed to do the play. He wouldn’t make up melodies as he went along but with his vast collection of music, he could think of a thing or two to play in each moment. Jongin exclaimed in surprise that it only took one speech. He rattled off a time for Yixing to be there and then he quickly hung up before Yixing could change his mind.

Yixing thought that he should feel regretful, after all he was about to get a taste of what his life may never be. Part of a performance with a real life audience, playing music. He was practically about to burn his hand in the fire and yet all he felt was a bit of joy. After that day he would have to worry about group projects with snotty rich kids inheriting family companies, and counting pennies from his shifts at the flower shop. Right now though? Right now he was warm with happiness and contentment.

Yixing thought that young and talented Kun was everything he could never hope to be, he was already older, inexperienced and all of it. He was unnecessarily self conscious. He had visited Kun before going to the venue, flowers and chocolates in hand with sincere apologies, trying to hide his excitement for the stage because it meant that Kun couldn’t and Yixing genuinely had looked forward to see his magic. Kun laughed at all his apologising.

“Yixing, I will have many more stages, my degree is in music. You love it and only get to take part from a distance. Don’t feel bad about one play out of so many for me. Break a leg!” Kun gestured for where to leave the flowers and Yixing felt a weight lifted off of his shoulders. Even Kun thought that he wouldn’t make his baby bro’s passion project a complete train wreck.

He made his way to the venue, and for once he was showing people a backstage pass instead of waiting for someone to know that he is there and yank him past security. The backstage was a mess as usual, the chaos he had grown to embrace. Half dressed people in costume makeup, screaming and running. Lots of running. Sehun spotted him and shoved some black clothes into his arms with a smile which Yixing returned.

Decked out in a full black outfit, Yixing found himself being dragged around by Sehun. To get light makeup since people would see him. To get his hair styled into a comma style. Yixing got so used to being tugged around that he bumped into Sehun when he suddenly stopped. Moving around Sehun he saw that Jongin and Taemin were in costume, royal gear for imaginary countries.

“Wow.” Yixing and Sehun breathed at the same time earning them shy hits from Jongin and Taemin alike.

“Yixing. You made it. Come see the piano before they let our audience in.” Yixing pushed his head through the curtains and saw the grand piano. He was really doing this. Yixing breathed in and exhaled, not from nerves per se, but those little stomach butterflies people always talk about. He moved back again just in time to hear coordinators yelling for people to get into position. That meant he had to go out and sit at the piano, ready to play when he felt moved to play. The audience trickled in with excited chatter; people who recognised him gave him a thumbs up even though Yixing kept his eyes off of the audience. Then the lights dimmed. This was it.

Yixing started by playing Chariots of fire to introduce the two kings, Jongin and Taemin. Yet as they flirted and skirted around each other, Yixing found his fingers playing each note and stroking the keys in an unfamiliar order. Yixing barely noticed, and the play gave him no time to be shocked that he wasn’t playing songs that he had heard or owned sheet music for. No, his fingers danced how he was compelled to move them, just by how his body felt the music. Then one of the final moments of the play was coming into fruition. The moment where Taemin’s character, King Soleil, dies in the arms of Jongin’s character, King Neige. Here, Yixing plays soft notes and in the dying breaths of King Soleil, he leaves a gap of silence before tapping the final note.

The audience is transfixed. Both by Jongin and Taemin, and their pianist. Their hearts are heavy and moved, as they watch the lights dim on Jongin holding the limp body of his love. The audience then claps. And they hoot, and they shout. The entire cast of Jongin’s first ever directed play, written by Sehun, the play named A Four Letter Word, makes their way to their stage. Yixing sits still instead of joining them. The one thing he had always thought that he couldn’t do? He had just done it. In front of a whole theatre. Jongin dragged him to join the rest of them for the final bow, audience still on their feet yelling the house down and vigorously clapping. Jongin introduces each cast member to the audience, and they cheer so hard for Yixing, his ears actually ring. Eyes wet and smiling wide, Yixing joins hands with the cast and they bow until the curtain is down completely.

It is when the curtain comes down that Yixing allows himself to cry. He doesn’t know why he cries. Maybe because he is overwhelmed, maybe because he just made up music on stage. Or more simply because Yixing is a simple man, who has simple dreams. As the cast fell over each other to rave over how he performed on stage, Yixing had had a change of heart. Some things were worth fighting for. That night after scrolling through reviews of A Four Letter Word and seeing people discuss how he randomly played almost like music had possessed him, Yixing answered a call that he had been avoiding.

“Papa. I have something to tell you.”

There were tears involved. Harsh words and anger. Misunderstandings. Rage. Yixing’s head was spinning but in the end he hears something he never expected.

“It’ll be hard for me, but I hope my boy will soar through the sky doing what he loves.” And so it was done. He was graduating with a business degree but he wasn’t going to go shadow his father and live the monotonous life he dreaded so much.

More importantly though, he could answer the phone when he missed his family because he wasn’t suffocated by the prospect of a future he hated so much.

The music that once caged him would now set him free. A chasm opened in him. He was going to become a composer. He really was. What they said about nightmares is true, nightmares just mean something good is on its way, because life? Is about balance.

Yixing cannot help but think back to the moment that he knew that he had to chase his dream of composing as he sits across a sour faced Byun Baekhyun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun once made Yixing feel enamoured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo I hope to find you all well, if not, I hope that your day improves <3

“I hate every single one of them. I will not sing them; I do not understand why it is so hard for you to create something that I like.” A couple of weeks back, those words would have made Yixing flinch but he was used to them now. When he had been invited by SM Entertainment to compose and write original music for him, Yixing was excited. He had admired Baekhyun’s singing voice ever since his debut album. Byun Baekhyun could sing any genre so well. His vocal colour was one of the best that Yixing had ever encountered, and his technique was immaculate. Practically the entire world agreed. Yixing lost count of how many places the City Lights album charted. And now he, Zhang Yixing would work with an artist who could move so many people. He practically salivated. This was just the thing that could get Yixing on the map as a composer and producer. The golden lifeline.

Yixing had gotten to work. He travelled around South Korea in search of inspiration. He talked to other composers, producers and writers around the world, hoping to bring a distinct sound that would suit Baekhyun’s voice. There had been a few mishaps in this, at one point he lost a USB with 99 songs and had to begin from scratch, failing to recreate what he had previously made.

The music he subsequently came up with was actually some of his best work, in his opinion of course. He made songs that blended sounds from Baekhyun’s hometown Bucheon, and his own hometown Changsha. He combined these sounds seamlessly, and gave them a bit of a twist adding pop and rnb elements without copying any traditional forms of song structures, rather giving it the Zhang Yixing edge. He played it for his friends, his family, random people in cafes and even his own pet cat. He loved the look of surprise as they listened to it, and when he asked if Baekhyun might like it, they reminded him that Baekhyun was known for experimenting with his music.

Yixing counted the days down, waiting for the day that he was meeting with Baekhyun at SM Entertainment. He felt out of place at the glossy table in the conference room, his feet clad in dirty converses. He was meeting Baekhyun, he should have dressed up a little more but that morning nothing had been going right and to make matters worse he saw what he considered an unlucky number several times that day. Hopefully his superstitions would prove to be wrong.

Baekhyun and his team had all been nice enough, Baekhyun had even laughed at how star struck Yixing was. Yixing would have never guessed that this man would be the menace he proved to be when it was time to hear the music that Yixing brought. Yixing pressed play and watched Baekhyun’s face become blank. When all the songs had been played, Baekhyun said only one phrase whilst his team talked about what they did and didn’t like on the track.

“With music like that, no wonder you haven’t gotten a big break or whatever.” The room filled with nervous laughter whilst Baekhyun’s manager hissed at him that he had promised to behave. Yixing could swear that in that moment his heart froze.

“I am behaving. But someone seems to fancy themselves as an innovator of sorts.” To Yixing’s humiliation, Baekhyun proceeded to dissect every note, every instrument choice and directed questions at him that him, seemingly designed to show that Yixing just wasn’t good enough. Yixing’s admiration of Baekhyun made him feel ashamed and unable to look at him, wanting to curl up because he failed. If Baekhyun noticed, then it didn’t matter to him because he continued to nitpick and dismiss every song as “experimental in all the wrong ways” for his album.

“You liked his composition for the Melody Cruisers though; you still listen to it every day.” Yixing was surprised, some of what Baekhyun nitpicked was emphasised in that one song, surely he hated the construction of that song too? How did Baekhyun even know of anything that he had worked on? He was practically a rookie. Baekhyun waved a dismissive hand.

“One good song. Hopefully our little rookie can bring something to the next meetings that I can love. Not this talent show crap.” Yixing’s admiration crumbled. People made him feel small as a composer all the time. He never thought that Baekhyun would fail to express his dislike without putting him down though. All those sleepless nights he had imagined a pitying look with an “I am sorry; it’s back to the drawing board.” Not this. Never this.

Yixing stood up as dignified as he could and gathered his belongings. With a curt nod to everyone in the room, he walked out at a brisk pace. His eyes were hot; it was always hard working with dismissive people. This time it wasn’t just anyone though. It was The Byun Baekhyun. One of the first concerts that Yixing had ever been to.

Yixing hopped up several steps at a time when he reached his apartment building. Clicking the door of the shoebox sized that he could barely afford he allowed his cheeks to get wet. He got his shoes off and lay onto his bed, face first. Maybe he should stick to indie artists. He turned his head and saw his Baekhyun poster. He turned his body away again. He had the thought the world of how somehow there wasn’t a place in the world that Baekhyun didn’t have fans that were moved by him. Yixing hoped his compositions could do that. Now he felt silly. And considering that he would absolutely return to the next meetings with more music, he felt pathetic too. Baekhyun had thought nothing of him, yet Yixing was going to go back. His pet cat gives him comfort by curling next to him and meowing. He rubs her fur and vents about his choices in life and all that existential bullshit.

Week after week, Yixing was no closer to gaining Baekhyun’s approval. He had given up on trying to bring songs he made specifically for Baekhyun and instead he brought anything he composed in the past but hadn’t shared. That was for naught, one week Baekhyun would say that he is tired of ballads the next he was bothered by how bright Yixing’s music was. Finally it boiled down to what Baekhyun had just said. He didn’t like anything Yixing made. Yixing actually laughs this time though. Hysterical, bewildered laughter.

“Next week bring something else, need I remind you that the time for me to cherry pick songs for my album is almost done and you are just laughing. I might not pick a single one of your songs if you don’t make something better.” Baekhyun says snottily. Yixing laughs harder.

“You are an angel to everyone but me it seems. I can’t come next week though.” Yixing says between gasps of bizarrely angry laughter. Seeing everyone’s confusion, Yixing calms down a bit to tell them what is happening. “I have no more songs to show. You rejected every song I have and when I compose there is a whole process behind it. I won’t be done in a week.” An awkward silence follows. Yixing thinks about how this had been his lifeline, a career boost he was excited for and now it was all over so fast. Everyone deals with nitpicky clients who are assholes for no reason, but not Yixing. Not anymore at least. Maybe he just was never meant to be a big shot composer. Yixing quietly apologises for being unprofessional and tells the pitying eyes in the room that he hopes that they’ll find songs that are the right fit for Baekhyun’s taste. He leaves them and he feels relieved and melancholic at the same time.

Yixing walked around aimlessly, his schedule was wide open now. And since Yixing is the universe’s favourite joke, everywhere he goes a Baekhyun song is playing. Yixing ends up on some bench. He is meant to meet up with Jongin who has been deeply invested in what he swears is sexual tension or even love between Yixing and Baekhyun. Yixing really can’t stand some light ribbing in that moment so he texts an apology, saying that he has a headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this chapter


	3. This is a steal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jealousy. Envy. Want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooooooo its been forever but like listen, I have ideas now after struggling. Thought about a big ass chapter as an apology but uh no, the way its structured is perfect. Next update is soon.

Baekhyun thought that Yixing would be back by then. Like he was THE Byun Baekhyun. As difficult as he had been his talent and music choices spoke for themselves, even if he had given Yixing a hard time, surely he would have come back.

It had been two weeks and not a peep from Yixing. Baekhyun’s deadline to finish selecting songs was looming so he could no longer afford to wait. Truly he knew he was wrong for that day. Yes he hadn’t like Yixing’s offerings thus far; it felt like Yixing was trying too hard in his eyes. Yixing definitely had a distinct style and he was good at experimenting with other genres too but somehow he just hadn’t really given Baekhyun what he had hoped for.

That day had been a bad day for Baekhyun; he hadn’t felt able to give fans outside the SM building a smile because he dealt with a terrible break up of sorts. They were not truly a couple but Baekhyun had desperately wanted them to be. Then there was the sleuge of meetings and being reminded of expectations from higher ups. And then he found that Jongdae, an acquaintance of his might release an album with similar genres close to his own release. Of course that was not Jongdae’s fault, management loved squeezing comebacks in and fans bought into the competition too, driving up the sales for both him and Jongdae. Not ideal, but the reality. Then Yixing, someone he had high expectations for had not yet came with something he felt in love with. Sometimes Yixing reminded him of a more idealised version of who he thought his jerk of an ex was. And he had a beautiful dimpled smile, a soft excitement whenever someone had wanted to hear him talk about music and a very down to earth feel to him.

Baekhyun walked around, deep in thought when he saw it. Yixing was in one of the glass panelled meeting rooms with Jongdae, and Jongdae was listening to something with his eyes closed whilst Yixing alternated between watching Jongdae and looking at his laptop screen. Baekhyun felt his blood run cold. Trying to act indifferent, Baekhyun walked into the room. Neither Jongdae nor Yixing paid him any mind, neither turned towards the door. Jongdae probably hadn’t heard him walk in, not with those giant headphones on his head. And Yixing was too busy watching Jongdae’s face whilst wringing his hands. Baekhyun cleared his throat and that got his attention. Yixing jumped out of his head and bowed briefly. As if he felt Yixing’s movement, Jongdae opened his eyes and turned to see Baekhyun. He gleefully greeted Baekhyun.

“Hyung! What brings you here?” Jongdae said, eye smile on full display. Baekhyun tried to ignore how Yixing seemed positively charmed by how Jongdae smiled.

“What are you guys up to?” That is good, show that you aren’t up to anything, and ask what’s on your mind!

“Oh I ran into Yixing here a couple of days ago. He mentioned a song inspired by sounds from Busan and Changsha and I just had to hear that and whatever else he had! Song selections for my album, you know how it is.” So Jongdae wanted to steal Baekhyun’s composer then. Nab him for himself.

“Oh? Find anything you liked?” Baekhyun knew his voice was getting higher. He felt like kicking himself. Yixing blushed a little. Baekhyun really hated this.

“We’re thinking of tweaking that first song you heard with the last one so we’re just listening and playing around with stuff.” Jongdae was a highly skilled lyricist but to Baekhyun he had no business thinking he had the skill set to adjust one of Yixing’s masterpieces. He ignored the little voice reminding him that he swore that he hated the offerings. SM often passed songs around but he wish they had given him more time before leaving the door open for other artists to then decide that they wanted the songs. Baekhyun had not even had the chance to properly apologise.

Baekhyun knew that they were waiting for him to leave. He himself had heard Yixing politely ask people to leave when he worked on songs too. He sat down instead. Yixing was surprised but Jongdae gave him a knowing, an understanding smile. No doubt he had heard about the meltdown that made Yixing’s songs a sort of free for all and he struck whilst the iron was hot. Jongdae may not be evil but Baekhyun knew that since Jongdae liked the songs he rejected, there was no way that he was letting Yixing go, not for this album and if they work well together, maybe even future albums.

It was so silly, how jealous Baekhyun felt. He was acting like those fans that get upset about musicians not being their little secret or however that line went. In as much as he was The Byun Baekhyun, Jongdae had a legion of heartbroken man fans who would probably enjoy seeing a more experimental but still not fluffy romantic music from Jongdae. He could see it doing well. And then SM would happily keep that rolling until the wheels came off.

He nodded at them to continue and they did. Jongdae would ask questions, Yixing would answer and they would tweak things. Yixing was awkward around him but Jongdae put him at ease asking about Chinese music genres in great detail from folk songs like Liu Hai Is Cutting Wood to well known Peking opera pieces and that made Yixing open up. He’d shyly bow his head and smile at all the compliments too. Jongdae was so obvious. He thought Yixing was cute, Baekhyun agreed that he is cute. But his flirting was overdone and aggressive, just because Yixing looked happy to go with the flow, it was obnoxious to Baekhyun.

Towards the end of the session, Yixing did not seem so uncomfortable with Baekhyun and offered him a smile in farewell as he left him and Baekhyun behind. Hope sprung in Baekhyun with the knowledge that Yixing did not begrudge him but he felt Jongdae staring holes into his face.

“He likes you too you know.” Was all Jongdae said. Baekhyun pretended not to know what he meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love affirmation and keyboard smashes. Spare a kudos and a comment if you can, thanks.


	4. Pride and Prejudice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun has thoughts. A lot of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Bhebiiiii I am back at it again with another chapter. I got to sit in Baekhyun's head a little more for this one. I hope you all enjoy it. By the way I am MaskedXinger on both twitter and CuriousCat. If you go to them it looks like I am MIA but in reality no one talks to me and I feel awkward about tweeting concepts because Baekhyun and Yixing are both on twitter and I have a deep seated paranoia about someone linking them to my concepts, I hope that we are not like that but you never know :(. But I like talking and that includes on my fics so please come through. If you enjoy this chapter and haven't already please comment and/or leave kudos. As an author, feedback (compliments, keyboard smashes etc etc) always encourages me to keep writing and work through writer's block. Thank you to people who came back after my first update in agesssss, I recognise your usernames and I am so happy that you are still interested in my stories. Without further ado, here is the first chapter.

_Pride (_ _pr_ _ʌɪ_ _d): a noun meaning the quality of having an excessively high opinion of oneself or one's importance._

Baekhyun found it very difficult to be around Yixing in ways that he never would have dreamed possible. It was strange, wasn’t it, to feel a sense of possessiveness over a music producer? I mean, it was their job to work with many people, hell the appeal of Yixing working with Baekhyun was probably his connections to other fantastic musicians, Jongdae included. _But I found him first, I wanted him first_. A tiny voice in Baekhyun’s head stroked at his ego, he discovered Yixing, he loved the blending of music from different cultures and different styles and he was the one who loved how eclectic Yixing’s style was. Yes he hadn’t liked what Yixing gave him but that was not because he felt that Yixing was incapable of making a song for him that he would like. He just needed Yixing to give him a song with that _je ne sais quoi_, the x factor, the thing that made the song not Yixing’s, but Baekhyun’s song.

Baekhyun did feel the things that the tiny voice was telling him, however, he could not ignore how he had been to Yixing. He had been harsh and unrelenting, in ways that even shocked his own team. Baekhyun took his music seriously, of course he did. Whether it was vocals, dancing or visuals he gave in 200% of his energy and effort. Was he flawless? His fans thought so. He could raise the standards of flawlessness so he did. Always. His manager, Junmyeon knew what was wrong though. Wasn’t that always how it went? The manager was in the background, privy to the musician’s entire life, down to the last detail, not interfering either, rather facilitating making the life of their musician easier. Junmyeon tried to be that, he succeeded most of the time.

That is not how it was with Baekhyun’s ex though. Baekhyun’s ex was not unlike Yixing. Baekhyun’s ex was in love with music, wildly so. Music was his whole life, it consumed him and he had little time for anything else. He was lonely still, and that is where Baekhyun had come in, believing he could change him, make him see the light. It had rendered Junmyeon helpless, watching Baekhyun get vulnerable with someone that in the end, would made him the footnote of one of his songs, nothing more. Junmyeon saw how Baekhyun could feel flashes of remembrance with Yixing. Yixing’s brightness, his dimples, his single-mindedness in making music all reminded Baekhyun of a love that he had put into a workaholic man. Honestly, as unreasonable and even unprofessional as Baekhyun had been, Junmyeon understood. Still, it was difficult to watch Yixing become less... bright. It was hard to see Yixing get quieter after each meeting about wanting music that he worked on to reach the world, to see Yixing think that Baekhyun thought little of him and his ambition, when that could not have been further from the truth.

Baekhyun hated seeing how Jongdae stuck to Yixing like glue, especially after the whole _he likes you too you know _comment. Yixing looked at Jongdae like he hung the stars in the sky and even when he brought music that was not specifically for Jongdae he wanted to know what Jongdae thought. Baekhyun wanted to hear that music too. He wanted to talk about music theory with Yixing too. In fact he had sometimes tried to hang around but he felt Yixing’s reluctance. He sensed how Yixing clamped up if Baekhyun asked what he thought about some song or the other. He felt a burn of embarrassment when he remembered telling Yixing that he had finished song selections for his album.

** _“Do you want to hear it? I know we kind of left on a bad note, I would really love to know what you think about the complete thing.” Baekhyun saw Yixing bite at his bottom lip absentmindedly as he considered this. There was a flash of temptation in Yixing’s eyes and Baekhyun felt a spark of hope that Yixing might take the olive branch extended to him. To his dismay, Yixing politely declined._ **

** _“Sorry, Jongdae and I are still working on his song. I’m worried that if I listen now it may influence the song. It’s an honour that you offered though. It really is.” It was clear that Yixing did not harbour resentment but Baekhyun knew that Yixing was lying. Jongdae had asked for him to listen to the song a few hours prior. The song writing part of the song was done. As were the arrangement, vocals and mixing. All that was left was the mastering of the song. There was nothing to influence, and Baekhyun loved the song that Yixing made for Jongdae, he knew that Jongdae’s fans would love the refreshing twist on Jongdae’s style of ballads and he also knew that Jongdae was considering changing his title track to this song. Thus, Yixing was avoiding him, plain and simple._ **

** _Jongdae advised him to openly communicate, to apologise. Of course he did. Baekhyun actually wanted to he just didn’t know how. Baekhyun was the type to insist he was a terrible person in his apologies, to say he doesn’t deserve them. His ex’s “apology” made him realise how uncomfortable that was. He instead tried like his parents to offer things to Yixing, seem inviting. Yixing seemed to only want to trail after Jongdae though, engulfed in watching the making of an album up close and personal. _ **

Yixing continued to maintain a polite, inoffensive distance. Everyone including Baekhyun’s own team seemed to not feel the tension between them and comfortably discussed how Yixing was so in love with music in front of Baekhyun with no malice in their eyes, just expressing how impressed and amused albeit worried they are by Yixing’s musical fervour. _Did you know he once lost a flash of over 99 songs? I would cry! _They would say, oblivious to Baekhyun’s frozen smile. It seemed everyone but Baekhyun had moved on from the conflict between Baekhyun and Yixing, he heard no rumours or anything.

Then Baekhyun heard something that made his heart drop to his feet. A certain ex had heard about Yixing, and Yixing’s obsession with music. He wanted to work with Yixing. He could see Yixing’s excitement, exchanging music with more artists? That was Yixing’s dream. Yixing would work with anyone who loved music, big or small. Baekhyun hated to think it but he could see his ex and Yixing as amazing friends. They would go everywhere together and eat together; fans would go crazy on social media. He could see the _Baekhyun who? _Tweets already. And since he knew for a fact that Yixing would never go for someone like Baekhyun’s ex, and probably vice versa, the fans would be at ease too. Yixing being a behind the scenes music person meant that as long as he didn’t implicate his ex in scandals, there would be little grievances about ‘using’ the ex too.

When you break up a relationship that was never properly defined, your mind is so occupied by how much time you invested, all the energy, all the emotion. When you breakup a relationship that was one-sided you obsess over how pathetically desperate you were, how the other person probably knew how badly you wanted to be with them, how you could see a future with them. When your crush or love, or whatever the fuck Baekhyun had felt, cuts ties with you in the most dismissive way, what crushes you is how you almost beg for them to see you, for them to want you, for them to value you.

And maybe, Baekhyun thought, maybe this was the lesson. That at every point the same pride that made him hope that if he pulled his ex in, closer and closer as they breathed into each other’s mouths where the fans couldn’t find him? That was the pride that stopped him from grasping every chance to tell Yixing four words, with fourteen letters, to at least salvage their professional relationship. Pride him from getting a good friend, a friend who knew all about putting 200% into music. It was four words, fourteen letters, and Baekhyun felt them on the tip of his tongue when Yixing avoided his gaze.

_I am sorry Yixing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo to those subscribed to me as an author and are used to my fluffier and short lived angst, sometimes with a smattering of crack (although I deny that I sometimes I give off crack fic energy, I refuse all charges) style of works, how do you like a deep dive into my more angsty writing side :D. Can you tell that I have been researching on how music is made to add a lil sumn extra to this? Remember, MaskedXinger on CuriousCat and Twitter. I don't bite I swear, also people reading this fic, did you notice that I started putting in titles for chapters? Throwing you off and giving you clues at the same time, learning how to give you suspense and excitement or whatever haha


	5. Ready or Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yixing realises that he can not avoid the fame game much longer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello, thank you to everyone that has gotten invested in the Jigsaw world. This chapter was originally called the calm before the storm, take that how you may. Also never forget, I am MaskedXinger on twitter and curious cat, come through! Also please do not forget to leave kudos and comments.

Yixing couldn’t help it. Baekhyun was trending on every music app and Yixing just had to know what the album sounded like. So he cracked and pressed on the little image of Baekhyun’s album, _Watchman: Baekhyun’s 3rd album_. Something Yixing always enjoyed about this particular music app was that it would have a snippet of the artist commenting on the album. **_Follow Byun Baekhyun on his third album, as he navigates the pain of a lover’s betrayal, in the artists own words. “Everyone has relationships that don’t work out. But when you come out of that one relationship that broke your spirit? _****_It’s fucking painful. _****_It’s fucking painful.” _**This descriptor makes Yixing feel for Baekhyun. He understands too, it’s how he himself became so deeply invested in his work, in his music. Yixing didn’t always make his work his life. His life taught him that his work should be his life, it hurts too much otherwise.

Yixing pressed play on the first song and let the heavy bass wash over him as Baekhyun croons asking why his lover kept him when he didn’t want him. Baekhyun’s voice is emotive, yes, but it has the smooth slickness of melted chocolate and the lyrics somehow just add to the ambience set by this dark rnb beat. The rest of the album follows this pattern, Baekhyun is vulnerable, Baekhyun is in denial, Baekhyun accepts what has happened and Baekhyun asks questions. The last song is jarring. It is jarring in how inconclusive it is. Baekhyun is hurt, Baekhyun is bitter, but Baekhyun isn’t focused on that. _Why._ Baekhyun just wants to know _why_. And Baekhyun doesn’t get an answer.

Yixing is silent in his room for a moment. It was a perfect album. It was a painful album. It was a heart wrenching album with sexy beats and vocal gymnastics that only a vocalist of Baekhyun’s calibre could pull off. Wow. Yixing can’t help but peek at social media. Twitter, Weibo, Instagram and more are all ablaze with glowing reviews of Watchman. Yixing agrees that there is something so raw and honest about this album that it sucks you in. Yixing almost wants to contact Baekhyun but he thinks better of it, he and Baekhyun were not _friends _so it would be weird. He does click through screen grabs from the title track’s music video and smile at some of the rather morbid jokes though. Baekhyun definitely did what he needed to do on this album; he is every bit as talented as his first album.

* * *

Yixing was delighted. Jongdae had given him a signed copy of his album and it was beautiful. Yixing was used to working with artists that had little to no budget so physical albums were always either a no go or made from the cheapest possible materials. Not Jongdae’s though. Jongdae’s album was hard cover and his images were printed on glossy high quality paper. And on the page of the song that they made together, Yixing saw his name, carefully printed in five languages including Mandarin, Korean and English.

Yixing loved the photos where Jongdae had dyed his hair blond and was wearing bright eye shadow with reds and yellows swirling over his lids on the “contemporary” version of the album. He remembered how shocked he had been enthusiastically complimenting Jongdae when he saw him after the cover shoot. He had forgotten himself and asked Baekhyun to chime in when he saw Jongdae getting self conscious. Whilst Baekhyun seemed to be begrudging in complimenting Jongdae’s styling, Yixing missed the slight smile that was on his lips at being included.

* * *

Yixing was nervous. It had been about two months since Baekhyun’s album came out and a month since Jongdae gave him a signed copy of his album early. Jongdae’s album was about to go live on streaming apps. The track list had been revealed and the general public was interested in his song with Jongdae, the song that was to be the title track. Social media was in a frenzy about the mixture of Korean ballad and trot styles with Chinese instrumentation such as hulusi. There was something else though. Jongdae had wanted to mix contemporary and traditional for his music video and thought that it was only fitting that Yixing should star in it. Yixing. Always in the background tinkering with music Yixing. In front of a camera. Yixing was vehemently opposed to it but the powers that be loved Jongdae’s vision.

”We can be star crossed lovers!” Jongdae exclaimed. Yixing had already begun zoning out. Yada yada two men set to rule their respective kingdoms. Yada yada they love each other yada yada. Yixing was not about to sit in front of a camera. He was a behind the scenes guy, he also liked people being too disinterested in him to take photos of him outside. Jongdae was out of his damn mind if he thought Yixing would do something like that. SM was with Jongdae however, and that made things difficult. So Yixing found himself in traditional dress a week or so later, Jongdae looking at him all giddy sitting on some stairs on set.

The music video said _premiering now _and Yixing braced himself to see what the final product was. It kind of reminded him of those fan made edits from that one popular drama that Yixing needed to find time to watch because it looked like it may be super good. The video ended with a soft brush of Yixing and Jongdae’s lips. The live chat was going wild. Some people made fun of the size of his head but others found it charming. People loved the song. It was a relief to Yixing. He was proud of what he had done with Jongdae.

Unfortunately he was already getting popular off of that music video and his social media followings were growing fast which made him feel anxious. People were hateful enough when he was practically a nobody producer. Sure he had been getting these incredible opportunities since he started working with SM. But was he ready? It did not really matter now did it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! The next chapter is going to be.... interesting. Remember, I am MaskedXinger on twitter and curious cat and I love feedback so leave kudos and comments por favor, I love talking to you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this.


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